THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

IN  MEMORY  OF 

Martha  Beck  with 


LEGENDS 

OF  THE 

WAILUKU 


SECOND  EDITION 


Copyright  ig2o-ig2i  by 

THE  CHARLES  R.  FRAZIER  COMPANY 

HONOLULU 

Paradise  of  the  Pacific  cprint 


Drawn    by    Will    Herwig. 


Paradise   Eng. 


Hina's  Spirit  Still  Lives  in  the  Mists  of 
Rainbow  Falls. 


LEGENDS 

OF  THE 

WAILUKU 


/TS  told  by    old 


Hawaiians  and 

done    into    the 

English  tongue 

Illustrated  .       by    Charlotte 

Will  Her^wig  *■ 


GIFT 


To  remember  our  happy 

hours  of  story-telling, 

this  printed  fragment 

is  in  gratitude  dedicated 

to  my  grandmother, 

Harriet  Kamafyanoenoe  Hapai. 


thf:  v/ailuku. 

FED  from  the  great  watershed  of  Ha- 
waii far  up  the  densely  wooded 
flanks  of  Mauna  Loa  and  Mauna  Kea 
— often  snow-capped  in  winter — the 
Wailuku  River  roars  through  the  very 
center  of  Hilo,  principal  town  of  the 
Island  of  Hawaii. 

There  are  many  vague  stories  as  to 
why  the  Wailuku  River  was  so  named. 
In  the  Hawaiian  tongue  Wailuku  means 
literally   "destroying  water." 

In  olden  times  before  there  were 
bridges  and  other  safeguards  the  river 
wrought  considerable  damage  to  property 
and  during  the  rainy  season  it  took  its 
toll  of  human  lives.  Legends  connected 
with  the  Wailuku  tend  to  confirm  the  be- 
lief that  it  was  named  for  its  violent 
habits. 

Long  ago,  so  one  legend  goes,  the 
much  dreaded  Kuna  (dragon)  blocked 
the  gorge  below  Rainbow  Falls  with  in- 
tent to  back  the  waters  up  and  drown  the 
goddess  Hina,  who  dwelt  in  the  great 
cave  for  which  the  falls  form  a  curtain. 
How  her  son,  the  demi-god  Maui,  came 
to  the  rescue,  saved  his  mother,  and  finally 
hunted  Kuna  from  his  lair  up  the  river 
and  slew  him,  is  told  in  the  legend,  "The 
Last  of  Kuna." 

320 

Page   FiT? 


When  Paoa,  a  very  powerful  god 
from  Tahiti,  came  to  visit  Hawaii  he 
built  a  grass  hut  and  made  his  home  on 
the  long,  low  rock — now  known  as 
Maui's  canoe — in  the  Wailuku  near  its 
mouth. 

Local  gods  viewed  this  selection  of  a 
homesite  as  foolhardy,  but  Paoa  was 
unaware  of  the  sudden  and  rapid  rise  the 
river  made  when  heavy  rains  and  cloud- 
bursts loosed  their  torrents  high  upon 
the  slopes  of  Mauna  Kea.  Hina,  god- 
dess of  the  river,  warned  the  visitor  of 
his  danger  and  told  him  how  the  angry 
waters  would  sweep  everything  before 
them.  In  the  legend,  "The  Coming  of 
Paoa,"  you  will  find  his  answer. 

In  those  days  there  must  have  been 
much  more  water  in  the  river  than  there 
is  today,  for  a  certain  amount  is  now 
diverted  above  Rainbow  Falls  for  water 
power. 

In  spite  of  the  decreased  volume  the 
river  is  still  very  violent  and  treacherous. 
At  high  water  big  boulders  are  clumsily 
rolled  down  stream  and  when  the  river 
is  unusually  high  even  trees  are  torn  from 
the  banks  and  carried  out  to  sea. 

So  the  Wailuku  still  lives  up  to  its 
name,  Destroying  Water. 


HOW  HILO  WAS  NAMED. 

KING  KAMEHAMEHA  the  Great 
was  a  very  famous  warrior.  His 
chief  ambition,  which  he  lived  to  realize, 
was  to  become  sole  ruler  of  all  the  Ha- 
waiian Islands.  Naturally  he  had  nu- 
merous enemies,  and  he  never  remained 
long  in  one  place  for  fear  some  of  them 
might  learn  of  his  whereabouts  and 
attack  him. 

One  time,  when  he  was  encamped 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Wailuku,  he 
planned  a  quiet  visit  to  what  is  now 
known  as  Reed's  Island,  where  lived  a 
particular  friend  of  his.  As  this  friend 
was  a  powerful  chief,  Kamehameha  felt 
safe  in  going  to  him  without  his  usual 
warrior  bodyguard. 

Before  leaving  camp  he  called  his  serv- 
ants to  him  and  told  them  to  stand 
watch  over  his  canoe,  that  it  might  not 
be  stolen  or  carried  away  by  the  tide. 
This  they  promised  faithfully  to  do. 

As  time  passed  and  the  king  did  not 
return  or  send  word  to  his  servants  they 
grew  uneasy  about  him.  Perhaps  he 
might  have  been  ambushed,  they  rea- 
soned; or  more  likely  fallen  into  one  of 
the  caverns  formed  by  ancient  lava 
flows  and  which  are  often  treacherously 
concealed    by    a    thin,    brittle    crust    that 


Serai 


a  man  of  Kamehameha's  bulk  might 
easily  break  through.  Much  as  they 
feared  for  the  king's  safety,  the  servants 
dared  not  leave  the  canoe  unguarded. 
They  were  in  a  quandary  indeed. 

"I  know  what  we  can  do!"  cried  one 
of  the  men.  "We  can  make  a  rope  of 
ti  leaves  and  tie  the  canoe  so  it  cannot 
drift  away." 

"Make  a  rope,"  queried  another, 
"how  can  we  do  that?" 

"Simple  enough,"  answered  the  first 
speaker.  "I'll  show  you.  Take  the  ti 
leaves  and  fasten  them  together.  First 
you  make  two  chains  of  leaves — like 
this — and  then  twist  each  one.  When 
you  place  them  together  they  will  nat- 
urally twine  about  each  other  and  you 
have  a  very  strong  rope.  Such  twisting 
is  called  hilo." 

"I've  never  seen  it  done,"  admitted  his 
fellow  sentry,  "but  it  looks  very  simple." 

"And  so  it  is,"  went  on  the  resource- 
ful one,  as  he  rapidly  twisted  the  ti 
leaves  into  serviceable  ropes.  "Now," 
he  concluded,  "these  are  plenty  long 
enough.  Let  us  make  the  canoe  fast  to 
the  beach." 

And  taking  their  ropes  to  the  canoe 
they  tied  it  securely  to  that  point  of  land 
— known  to  the  old  Hawaiians  as  Kai- 


Page    Eight 


paaloa — near  the  mouth  of  the  river 
where  the  lighthouse  stands  today. 
Then  they  set  out  in  search  of  the  king. 

Only  a  short  way  up  the  river  they  met 
Kamehameha  returning  unharmed.  Ig- 
noring the  spirit  of  their  intent  in  absent- 
ing themselves  from  their  post  of  duty, 
the  king  demanded: 

"But  where  is  my  canoe?  What  have 
you  done  with  my  canoe?  You  prom- 
ised to  guard  it.  By  now  it  may  have 
drifted  out  to  sea  or  been  stolen!" 

"We  tied  it  with  ti  ropes,"  answered 
the  servant  who  had  woven  them. 

"Ti  ropes!"  roared  his  majesty. 
"Why,  no  one  here  knows  how  to  make 
ropes  like  that.  The  only  place  they  do 
know  is  at  Waipio.  How  did  you 
learn?" 

"I  came  to  you  from  there,"  the  man 
answered. 

"Oh,  and  that  is  where  you  learned. 
Well  and  good.  Hereafter  this  place 
shall  be  called  Hilo." 

And  so  it  has  been.  The  town  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Wailuku  has  since  that 
day  been  known  by  the  Hawaiian  word 
meaning  "to  twist." 


MAUI  CONQUERS  THE  SUN. 

HINA,  the  goddess  who  in  the  long 
ago  made  her  home  in  the  great 
cave  beneath  Rainbow  Falls,  was  es- 
pecially gifted  in  the  art  of  tapa  making. 
So  wonderfully  artistic  and  fine  were 
the  tapas  of  Hina  that  people  journeyed 
from  all  parts  of  the  Island  to  view  them 
and  to  covet.  Even  across  the  mighty 
shoulders  of  Mauna  Loa  from  Kona  and 
Kailua  and  down  the  rugged  Hamakua 
Coast  from  Waipio  they  came,  and  from 
the  other  islands  as  well. 

It  was  hard,  laboring  over  the  tapa 
every  day,  and  especially  hunting  for  the 
olona  which  Hina  sometimes  used.  But 
she  used  also  the  bark  of  the  mamake 
and  wauke  trees,  which  were  more  plen- 
tiful and  very  good  for  tapa. 

Interested  though  he  was  in  the  manu- 
facture and  decoration  of  this  beautiful 
paper-cloth,  Hina's  son,  the  demi-god 
Maui,  held  aloof  from  the  work.  In  the 
making  of  tapa  man's  hand  was  tabu, 
yet  he  could  not  forbear  an  occasional 
suggestion  when  his  mother  created  mys- 
tic designs  for  decoration  of  her  work. 

After  the  tapa  was  made  it  had  to  be 
placed  for  the  Sun  to  dry,  but  by  the 
time  Hina  would  reach  the  drying 
frames,    the    Sun    was    far    up    in    the 


Paradise 


As  Maui  Reached  the  Eastern  Rim  the  Sun 
Was  Disappearing. 


sky.  All  too  soon  long  shadows  would 
creep  across  the  stream  below  Rainbow 
Falls,  warning  her  that  night  approached 
and  that  it  was  time  to  take  in  her  tapa. 

Quite  often  the  dyes  with  which  the 
designs  were  painted  on  the  tapa  were 
not  entirely  dry  when  the  tapa  was  tak- 
en in,  and  many  fine  pieces  were  smeared 
and  ruined.  Days  were  short  in  the 
narrow  walled-in  river  gorge  and  the  Sun 
shone  directly  on  the  tapa  for  only  a  few 
hours,  passing  then  beyond  the  high 
western  wall,  and  gloom  would  settle 
about  the  cave,  growing  deeper  with 
oncoming  night. 

It  grieved  Maui  to  see  his  mother's 
tapa  so  often  spoiled,  so  he  besought 
the  Sun  to  go  more  slowly.  For  one  or 
two  days  he  did  moderate  his  pace  and 
Hina  rejoiced  in  the  lovely  tapas  she 
was  able  to  make.  But  soon  the  heedless 
Sun  hurried  past  again  as  fast  as  ever, 
entirely  forgetting  his  promise  to  Maui. 

So  Maui  determined  to  exact  a  last- 
ing agreement  with  the  Sun,  and  set  out 
in  his  canoe  for  Maui,  the  Island  which 
bears  his  name  and  on  which  is  situated 
Haleakala,  today  the  greatest  extinct 
crater  in  the  world  and  in  olden  time  the 
Home  of  the  Sun.  Maui  hoped  to 
catch  him  there. 

As   Maui  reached  the  eastern   rim  of 


Page    Twelve 


Haleakala  the  Sun  was  just  disappear- 
ing over  the  other  side;  but  Maui  knew 
he  would  return  in  the  morning,  so  he 
prepared  to  spend  the  night  in  waiting. 

As  the  Sun  returned  to  his  home  next 
morning  Maui  caught  him  by  his  rays, 
which  the  Sun  used  as  legs,  and,  wield- 
ing the  magic  club  which  he  always 
carried  on  his  many  expeditions,  broke 
several  of  them.  Thus  crippled,  the  Sun 
was  forced  to  stay  for  parley,  though 
crying  out  in  alarm  that  he  must  be  let 
go,  as  there  was  no  time  to  waste.  Day 
must  be  carried  westward.  But  Maui 
hung  on  and  reminded  the  Sun  of  his 
promises. 

After  much  argument  they  agreed  to 
compromise;  so  the  Sun  promised  to  go 
slowly  six  months  in  the  year  and  then, 
for  the  remaining  six  months,  to  hurry  as 
fast  as  before. 

Maui  was  content  with  this  arrange- 
ment and  sure  also  that  the  Sun  would 
not  again  forget,  for  he  had  crippled  him 
considerably.  It  would  take  some  time, 
he  thught,  for  the  Sun's  broken  rays  .to 
mend. 

So,  very  well  pleased  with  his  suc- 
cess, Maui  permitted  the  Sun  to  proceed 
on  his  journey,  while  himself  he  prepared 
to  return  with  all  speed,  bearing  the  good 
news  to  his  mother. 


Page    Thirteen 


KUNA,  THE  DRAGON. 

FAR  above  Rainbow  Falls  there  lived 
a  powerful  kupua  named  Kuna. 
Kuna  had  the  form  of  a  monstrous 
dragon,  unlike  anything  in  these  islands 
today. 

Kuna  often  tormented  the  goddess 
Hina  in  her  rocky  cave  behind  Rainbow 
Falls  by  sending  over  great  torrents  of 
water  or  by  rolling  logs  and  boulders 
down  the  stream.  Quite  often  he  would 
block  the  stream  below  the  falls  with 
sediment  sent  down  by  freshets  during 
the  rainy  seasons. 

But  Hina  was  well  protected.  Her 
cave  was  large  and  the  misty  cloud  of 
spray  from  the  falling  waters  helped  to 
conceal  it.  So  in  spite  of  the  frequent 
floods  and  many  threats  from  Kuna, 
Hina  paid  him  not  the  slightest  atten- 
tion, but  with  her  songs  and  gay  laughter 
lightly  mocked  him  as  she  worked. 

On  many  days  Hina  was  quite  alone, 
while  her  eldest  son,  the  demi-god  Maui, 
was  away  on  one  of  his  numerous  expe- 
ditions. Even  then  she  did  not  mind 
this,  for  should  any  danger  befall  her  she 
had  a  peculiar  cloud  servant  which  she 
called  "ao-opua."  If  Hina  were  in 
trouble  this  ao-opua  would  rise  high 
above  the  falls,  taking  an  unusual  shape. 
When  Maui  saw  this  warning  cloud  he 


Page    Fourteen 


wculd  hurry  home  at  once  to  his  mother's 
side. 

One  night  while  Maui  was  away  from 
home  on  the  Island  of  Maui,  where  he 
had  gone  to  bargain  with  the  Sun,  a 
storm  arose.  The  angry  waters  roared 
about  the  mouth  of  Hina's  cave.  They 
hissed  and  tossed  in  ugly  blackness  down 
the  narrow  river  gorge;  but  Hina  heard 
naught  of  the  wildness  without.  Being 
used  to  the  noisy  cataract,  her  slumbers 
were  not  disturbed  by  the  heightened 
tumult  of  its  roar. 

But  Kuna,  quite  aware  of  the  situa- 
tion, was  quick  to  take  advantage  and 
to  act.  Hina's  apparent  indifference  an- 
noyed him.  He  recalled  several  failures 
to  conquer  her,  and  rage  overwhelmed 
him.  Calling  upon  his  powers  he  lifted 
an  immense  boulder  and  hurled  it  over 
the  cliffs.  It  fitted  perfectly  where  it  fell 
between  the  walls  of  the  gorge  and 
blocked  the  rush  of  the  hurrying  torrent. 

Laughing  loudly  at  his  success,  Kuna 
called  on  Hina  and  warned  her  of  her 
plight,  but,  still  unknowing,  Hina  slept  on 
until  the  cold  waters  entered  the  cave, 
rapidly  creeping  higher  and  higher  until 
they  reached  her  where  she  slept. 
Startled  into  wakefulness  she  sprang  to 
her  feet,  and  her  cries  of  panic  resounded 
against  the  distant  hills.     As  the  waters 


rose  higher  her  cries  became  more  terri- 
fied until  they  reached  the  Island  of 
Maui  and  the  ears  of  her  son. 

Through  the  darkness  Maui  could  see 
the  strange  warning  cloud,  unusually  large 
and  mysterious.  With  his  mother's  cries 
ringing  in  his  ears  he  bounded  down  the 
mountain  to  his  canoe,  which  he  sent 
across  the  sea  to  the  mouth  of  the  Wai- 
luku  with  two  strong  sweeps  of  his  pad- 
dle. The  long,  narrow  rock  in  the  river 
below  the  Mauka  Bridge,  called  Ka 
Waa  o  Maui  (The  Canoe  of  Maui),  is 
still  just  where  he  ran  it  aground  at  the 
foot  of  the  rapids. 

Seizing  his  magic  club  with  which  he 
had  conquered  the  Sun,  Maui  rushed  to 
the  scene  of  danger.  Seeing  the  rock 
blocking  the  river  he  raised  his  club  and 
struck  it  a  mighty  blow.  Nothing  could 
resist  the  magic  club!  The  rock  split  in 
two,  allowing  the  strong  current  to  rush 
unhindered  on  its  way. 

Hearing  the  crash  of  the  club  and 
realizing  his  attempt  on  the  life  of 
Hina  had  again  failed,  Kuna  turned  and 
fled  up  the  river. 

The  remains  of  the  great  boulder,  now 
known  as  Lonokaeho,  overgrown  with 
tropical  plants  and  with  the  river  rushing 
through  the  rift,  lies  there  to  this  day  as 
proof  of  Maui's  prowess. 


Page    Sixteen 


THE  LAST  OF  KUNA. 

SO  GREAT  was  the  wrath  of  the 
demi-god  Maui  at  the  fell  intent  of 
Kuna  to  drown  his  mother  that  he  vowed 
never  to  relent  in  his  search  for  the  mon- 
ster, and  to  kill  him  on  sight. 

Kuna  evidently  sensed  Maui's  inten- 
tions, for  as  soon  as  he  saw  his  great 
mischief  undone  he  fled  to  a  hiding-place 
far  up  the  river.  He  realized  then  how 
great  had  been  his  folly  and  trembled  at 
the  thought  of  capture  by  the  mighty 
demi-gcd.  In  spite  of  his  magic  powers 
Kuna  knew  Maui's  anger  to  be  far 
greater  than  all  of  them  put  together; 
still,  he  had  countless  secret  hiding-places 
where  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  him. 

He  did  not  have  long  to  wait  in  his 
secret  lair  before  he  heard  the  thundering 
voice  of  Maui  commanding  him  to  come 
forth.  The  earth  shook  with  the  heavy 
tread  of  the  vengeful  demi-god  and  the 
dreadful  blows  he  dealt  all  obstacles  he 
passed  which  might  possibly  conceal  the 
form  of  his  enemy. 

The  thundering  voice  and  quaking 
earth  became  more  horrible  and  terrify- 
ing as  Maui  approached.  Soon  he  stood 
before  the  hole  in  which  Kuna  lay  hiding. 
Catching  sight  of  the  ugly  monster  with- 
in, Maui  let  out  a  deafening  yell,  poised 


-'•venteen 


his  magic  spear,  and  with  one  sweep  of 
his  mighty  arm  hurled  it  into  the  depths  of 
Kuna's  hiding-place.  But  the  dragon 
was  sly  and  agile,  notwithstanding  his 
huge  bulk,  and  slipped  out  in  time  to 
save  himself. 

Even  today  you  can  see  the  long  hole 
— puka  o  Maui — which  the  demi-god's 
spear  made  through  the  lava  beyond  the 
cavern;  sufficient  evidence  of  the  Her- 
culean strength  with  which  the  weapon 
was  driven.  Small  wonder  Kuna  so 
feared  a  meeting  with  this  outraged  son 
of  the  goddess  he  had  sought  to  drown. 

Wasting  no  time,  Kuna  started  down 
stream,  with  Maui  in  hot  pursuit.  Often 
the  dragon  tried  to  conceal  himself  in 
some  sheltered  spot,  or  evade  his  pursuer 
by  hiding  behind  a  rock,  but  Maui  gave 
him  no  rest,  spearing  him  from  one  hole 
to  another. 

Diving  into  one  of  several  deep  pools 
in  the  river,  Kuna  hoped  that  at  last  he 
was  safely  hidden.  Maui  was  not  to 
be  thus  easily  fooled.  He  could  see  the 
grotesque  bulk  of  his  enemy  far  below 
the  surface  of  the  gloomy  water.  Kuna 
was  cornered. 

Calling  upon  Pele,  goddess  of  the 
Volcano,  to  send  him  hot  stones  and 
molten  lava,  Maui  cast  these  into  Kuna's 
retreat  until  the  waters  boiled  furiously, 


Page    Eighteen 


sending  a  vast  column  of  steam  far  above 
the  rim  of  the  gorge. 

Known  today  as  the  Boiling  Pots,  al- 
though time  has  cooled  their  waters,  they 
still  bubble  and  surge  as  vigorously  as 
ever,  especially  when  the  heavy  rains 
come  and  remind  them  of  the  time  when 
Kuna  the  Dragon  sought  refuge  within 
their  depths. 

Tough  as  the  hide  of  Kuna  was,  it 
could  not  save  him  from  the  terrific  heat 
generated  by  the  red-hot  rocks  and  lava 
cast  into  the  pool  by  Maui.  Nearly 
exhausted,  the  monster  managed  to  drag 
himself  from  the  cauldron  and,  shriek- 
ing horribly,  he  again  took  up  his  flight 
down  stream.  Maui  sent  torrents  of  boil- 
ing water  after  him,  scalding  at  last  the 
life  from  his  ugly  body. 

Then  Maui  rolled  the  huge  carcass 
down  the  river  to  a  point  below  Rain- 
bow Falls,  within  sight  of  his  mother's 
home,  where  she  could  view  daily  the 
evidence  that  none  might  threaten  her 
and  live.  And  there  the  ungainly  form 
lies  today — a  long,  black-rock  island 
known  as  Moo  Kuna,  between  the 
rapids — where  every  freshet,  every  heavy 
rain,  beats  upon  it  as  though  in  everlast- 
ing punishment  for  plotting  the  death  of 
Hawaii's  beloved  goddess,  Hina. 


\ ineteen 


THE  COMING  OF   PAOA 


M- 


ANY  years  ago  there  lived  on  the 
land   of   Tahiti   several   brothers. 
all  \erv  sifted  and  powerful  gods  of  I 
land.     One  was  by  name  Paoa. 

Now       I  an:t;an      cu$te:r.>      w; 
like   those   of    Hawaii    at   that   time,    in 
that  the  Tahitians  offered  huma 
fices  when   a  canoe  or  a   h 
process   of   construction.      How    the 

ance  of  this  custom  caused  the  fl 
of  Paoa  to  Hawaii,  you  shall  see. 

It  so  happened  that  one  of  the  brothers 
was  having  a  canoe  built,  and  they 
all  undecided  as  to  whom  should 
offered  in  sacrifice.  A  quarrel  ensued. 
Paoa  and  the  ownei  of  die  new  canoe 
grew  very  bitter  towards  each  oilier  over 
it.  When  the  time  came  for  the  sacri- 
fice Paoa's  only  son  was  taken  and 
offered  to  the  flames. 

Grief-stricken  al  die  loss  of  his  son  and 
furious  at  the  cruelty  of  his  brother.  Paoa 
decided  to  leave  it  all  and  seek  peace 
some  other  island.  In  preparation  for  die 
y  by  canoe  he  took  only  three 
things   with   him:    two   kinds      :  the 

aku  and  opelu — and  some  pili  grass. 

Jov::::-:\  ::>_:    northward    he    encountered 
r.    :-.    . : :  r    s:er:u   which   grew  more   tc 
as    the    davs    passed    until    it    seemed   the 


Paoa  Sto  :he  Little  Plo: 

Ai  He  Answered  Her. 


low  canoe  could  no  longer  breast  the 
great  mountains  of  angry  water  that  bore 
down  upon  it  as  though  to  drive  it  under 
and  swallow  it  into  the  black  depths. 

Fearing  for  his  safety,  Paoa  took  the 
two  kinds  of  fish  and  threw  them  over- 
side. Almost  at  once  the  mighty  waves 
were  calmed  and  the  canoe  went  safely 
on  its  way  surrounded  by  an  area  of 
calm,  peaceful  water  while  the  storm 
raged  on  all  sides  a  little  distance  away. 

Even  today  if  you  see  a  smooth  area 
of  water  in  the  midst  of  a  rough  sea  you 
will  know  that  there  is  a  school  of  aku 
or  opelu  very  near  the  surface. 

So  Paoa  sailed  safely  through  the 
storm.  As  soon  as  it  subsided  he  called 
back  the  fish  and  placed  them  in  his 
canoe  once  more.  They  had  been  very 
helpful  and  might  be  of  use  should  the 
storm  arise  again. 

At  last  Paoa  came  to  an  island  which 
appeared  very  large  and  was  covered 
with  vegetation.  Paddling  his  canoe  in- 
to a  great  crescent-shaped  bay,  he  ob- 
served a  river  emptying  into  it  and  turned 
the  nose  of  his  tiny  craft  that  way.  Not 
far  up  the  river  he  came  to  a  long, 
low  rock  which  he  called  Waa  Kauhi, 
and  landed  on  the  southeastern  side  of 
its  point. 


Page     Twenty -two 


So  great  was  the  joy  of  Paoa  upon 
reaching  this  beautiful  island  that  he 
decided  to  make  it  his  home.  To  com- 
memorate his  safe  landing  he  at  once 
planted  on  the  rock  the  pili  grass  he  had 
brought  with  him.  Also  he  liberated  his 
aku  and  opelu  fish  in  the  new  waters, 
where  today  their  progeny  teem  in  count- 
less millions. 

Very  soon  he  built  himself  a  grass  hut 
for  a  home,  and  was  careful  to  protect 
the  pili  grass,  which  grew  rapidly  and 
before  long  spread  to  other  parts  of  the 
big  island,  where  it  throve  even  better 
than  on  the  scant  soil  of  the  pahoehoe 
rock. 

Hawaiians  soon  learned  to  use  the  pili 
grass  in  house  building,  as  it  made  a 
tighter  thatch  and  lasted  longer  than  the 
lauhala  or  the  grasses  to  which  they  had 
been  accustomed.  The  stems  of  the 
flowers  were  later  used  in  weaving  hats, 
as  they,  too,  were  firm  and  strong. 

Farther  up  the  river,  which  Paoa 
learned  was  called  the  Wailuku,  there 
lived  the  goddess  Hina.  Soon  after  the 
arrival  of  this  stranger  from  Tahiti,  Hina 
heard  of  him  and  his  chosen  home.  Evi- 
dently he  had  not  come  to  wage  war  or 
do  harm  to  the  people,  for  he  had  already 


rwenty-thvN 


made  friends  with  many  of  the  fishermen 
living  near  him. 

So  Hina  decided  to  see  him  for  herself 
and  went  down  to  his  home.  She  was 
surprised  to  find  that  he  really  had  es- 
tablished himself  on  that  low  rock. 

"Why,"  she  exclaimed,  "you  must  not 
stay  on  this  rock!  Can't  you  see  the 
waters  above  here  are  high?  When  the 
rains  come  you  will  be  washed  away  and 
drowned.     It  is  not  safe!" 

Paoa  stood  upon  the  little  plot  of  pili 
grass  as  he  answered  her.  "No,  I  will 
not  go  away,  for  no  matter  how  high  the 
waters  come  they  shall  never  cover  this 
spot. 

From  that  day  Paoa's  word  has  held 
true.  No  matter  how  high  the  Wailuku 
rises,  it  never  has  covered  the  little  plot 
of  pili  grass  which  still  grows  on  the  long, 
low  rock  at  the  river's  mouth. 


Page   Twenty-four 


mammm  -"HHHAi 


MAUI  AND  THE  ALAE  BIRDS. 

MAUI,  the  eldest  son  of  the  goddess 
Hina,  lived  with  his  mother  and 
two  brothers  in  the  cave  behind  Rain- 
bow Falls,  in  the  Wailuku  River  Gorge, 
a  short  distance  mauka  of  what  is  today 
the  town  of  Hilo.  Often  the  brothers 
would  go  fishing  in  the  harbor. 

At  this  time  the  Hawaiians  knew  noth- 
ing about  fire.  All  their  food  was  eaten 
raw.  Occasionally  Maui  had  found  in 
his  various  wanderings  some  bits  of 
cooked  banana  and  pondered  over  their 
delicious  flavor.  He  could  not  under- 
stand what  had  been  done  to  them  until 
one  day  he  came  upon  a  group  of  little 
alae  birds  cooking  bananas  over  a   fire. 

He  was  so  amazed  at  the  scene  that 
the  birds  had  plenty  of  time  to  put  out 
their  fire  and  take  wing  before  he  could 
bring  himself  to  action.  This  only 
aroused  his  ambitious  nature  and  he 
vowed  he  would  learn  the  secret  of  fire. 

In  the  days  that  followed  he  devised 
many  cunning  schemes  to  trap  one  of 
the  alae  birds,  but  they,  too,  were  cun- 
ning and  carefully  refrained  from  building 
any  fire  when  Maui  was  near.  Once  or 
twice  while  he  was  out  fishing  he  had 
seen  white  puffs  of  smoke  among  the 
trees  and  knew  the  birds  were  preparing 


a  feast,  but  he  could  never  reach  the 
place  in  time  to  catch  any  of  them. 

One  day  he  thought  of  a  clever  trick 
And  took  his  brothers  into  his  confidence. 
They  fixed  up  a  kalabash  covered  with 
tapa  to  resemble  a  man  and  placed  it 
in  the  middle  of  Maui's  canoe.  Then  the 
two  brothers  took  their  seats  at  either 
end  of  the  canoe  and  paddled  out  into 
the  harbor  while  Maui  ran  back  and 
concealed  himself  in  the  woods. 

Soon  the  alae  birds  came  circling 
overhead  and  Maui  heard  them  say, 
"At  last  we  can  make  our  fire  and  have 
a  good  feast.  Maui  and  his  two  broth- 
ers are  out  for  a  day's  fishing." 

Quivering  with  excitement,  Maui 
crouched  in  his  hiding-place  and  waited. 
Soon  he  heard  the  birds  talking  quite  near 
him  and,  peeping  out,  saw  them  pushing 
fresh  bananas  into  a  blazing  fire.  Rush- 
ing into  their  midst  he  caught  one  of  the 
birds. 

"Tell  me  how  you  make  fire  or  you 
shall  never  go  free!"  he  demanded. 

At  first  the  bird  was  sullen  and  refused 
to  answer,  but  at  Maui's  rough  treat- 
ment resorted  to  trickery  and  replied, 
"Rub  two  taro  stalks  together  and  you 
shall  have  fire." 

Holding  the  bird  closely,  Maui  did  so, 


Ph'ao    Twenty-six 


but  only  little  drops  of  water  came  from 
the  stalks.  Very  angry,  Maui  punished 
'the  bird  again  and  demanded  the  truth. 
Helpless  and  exhausted,  the  poor  alae 
told  Maui  to  take  two  hau  sticks  and 
rub  them  together. 

Maui  found  the  hau  sticks,  but  fear- 
ing the  bird  was  not  telling  the  truth,  he 
rubbed  its  head  with  one  of  the  sticks 
until  a  drop  of  blood  trickled  out,  stain- 
ing the  tuft  of  feathers  on  its  crest.  But 
the  bird  persisted  in  this  statement,  so 
Maui  began  rubbing  the  sticks  together. 
Little  sparks  appeared  and  caught  fire 
to  the  dead  leaves  on  which  they  fell. 

Overjoyed  at  his  discovery,  Maui  set 
the  bird  free.  But  to  this  day  every  alae 
bird  wears  the  symbol  of  punishment  for 
telling  its  secret — a  tuft  of  red  feathers 
on  the  top  of  its  head. 


i  ".wiity-sfvc 


MAUFS  KITE. 

MAUI,  the  great  demi-god  of  Ha- 
waii, was  restless.  Time  hung 
heavy  on  his  hands.  Uneventful  days  of 
quiet  had  fallen  upon  the  land.  Adven- 
ture seemed  to  be  in  hiding,  and  no  ex- 
ploit invited  to  service  this  active  young- 
ster's shining  spear  or  magic  club.  Idle- 
ness grew  more  and  more  unbearable. 

Now  Laamaomao,  god  of  the  winds, 
dwelt  not  far  above  Rainbow  Falls  in 
the  beautiful  gorge  of  the  Wailuku  and 
to  him  Maui  confided  his  discontent.  The 
old  fellow  admitted  that  times  were  dull. 
Not  for  a  long  time  had  he  been  called 
upon  for  blasts  from  his  greater  windpot, 
Ipunui.  On  the  heels  of  this  remark 
came  inspiration,  and  he  suggested  that 
Maui  fashion  a  large  kite.  He,  Laa- 
maomao, would  see  to  it  that  a  suitable 
wind  be  forthcoming  and  excitement  suf- 
ficient to  break  the  dull  monotony  of  too 
peaceful  days. 

So  Maui  set  about  the  construction  of 
an  enormous  kite.  His  mother,  the  god- 
dess Hina,  made  for  him  a  beautiful  and 
strong  tapa,  and  twisted  fibres  of  the 
olona  into  a  stout  cord.  From  the  rich 
red  wood  of  the  koa  expert  and  willing 
hands  put  together  a  graceful  frame,  and 
in  due  time  the  big  plaything  was  ready. 


age    Twenty -eight 


Laamaomao,  having  fathered  the  idea, 
manifested  a  keen  interest  in  the  proceed- 
ings and  had  his  windpots  in  readiness 
for  the  initial  flight. 

Calling  Ipuiki,  smaller  of  his  two  wind- 
pots,  into  action,  Laamaomao  directed  a 
steady,  gentle  breeze  up  the  gorge  against 
the  breast  of  the  great  kite,  cautioning 
those  who  held  it  to  be  in  readiness  to 
let  go  at  the  proper  moment  and  re- 
minding Maui  to  have  a  care  lest  the 
olona  cord  slip  through  his  hands. 

Gracefully  the  birdlike  thing  rose  into 
the  brilliant  turquoise  sky — that  same  sky 
which  today  so  enchants  the  malihini — 
and  as  it  tugged  at  the  line,  dipped,  rose 
again  and  circled  about,  the  thrill  of  it 
came  down  the  cord  to  Maui's  hands 
and  his  delight  knew  no  bounds. 

Often  in  the  quiet  days  that  followed 
did  Maui  amuse  himself  with  the  big 
kite.  As  he  grew  more  familiar  with  its 
handling  the  impetuous  demi-god  would 
ask  Laamaomao  for  winds  from  Ipunui 
and  glory  in  the  tussle  his  kite  gave  him 
when  buffeted  by  these  stronger  blasts — 
even  though  wise  old  Laamaomao  was 
careful  to  moderate  their  power. 

Sometimes  Maui  would  tire  of  his 
sport  and,  drawing  its  cord  through  a 
round  hole  in  a  rock  which  lay  in  the 
center    of    a    small    lake    near    the    wind 


Page    Twenty -nine 


Drawn    by    Will    Herwig, 


Paradise   Eng. 


Old  Laamaomao,  the  Wind  God,  Admitted  That 
Times  Were  Dull. 


caves,  would  leave  his  kite  to  its  own 
devices  while  he  slept. 

On  one  such  occasion  Laamaomao, 
having  received  an  order  for  a  great 
storm,  forgot  all  about  Maui's  kite  and 
turned  loose  his  most  powerful  wind  from 
Ipunui.  All  night  long  it  howled  through 
the  creaking  trees,  driving  the  rain  before 
it  in  lashing  sheets.  Stout  as  it  was,  the 
olona  cord  with  which  Maui's  big  kite 
was  moored  could  not  long  withstand  the 
strain  and  finally  parted,  leaving  the 
kite  to  the  mercy  of  the  winds.  Tossed 
madly  about  in  the  storm,  it  was  carried 
far  across  the  flank  of  Mauna  Loa  and 
dropped  into  the  sea  off  the  shore  of 
Kau. 

Now  Puuanuhe,  the  much-dreaded  liz- 
ard-woman, made  her  home  on  the 
shores  of  the  Kau  desert,  and  to  her  ears 
had  come  the  wonderful  story  of  Maui's 
kite,  fanning  an  already  hot  jealousy  of 
the  young  demi-god  and  his  doings. 
Puuanuhe  was  the  only  creature  of  those 
days  who  had  fiery  red  hair,  and  her 
temper  was  none  the  less  caloric. 

So  when  she  saw  this  strange  object 
floating  in  the  water  near  her  home  on 
the  morning  after  the  storm  she  recog- 
nized it  as  Maui's  kite.  Chuckling  in 
vicious  satisfaction  at  this  chance  oppor- 
tunity to  make  trouble  for  the  handsome 


;     nty-one 


son  of  Hina,  Puuanuhe  hid  the  kite  in 
the  rough  hills  back  of  Hilea. 

Great  was  Maui's  surprise  and  con- 
sternation when  he  found  his  kite  gone. 
He  at  once  set  out  in  search  of  it.  Days 
passed  without  trace  of  it,  but  one  day 
news  came  to  him  that  Puuanuhe  had 
been  seen  with  a  large  kite.  He  knew  it 
must  be  his,  as  there  was  none  other  so 
big. 

Arriving  at  Hilea  he  discovered  the 
hideous  read-headed  lizard-woman,  who 
admitted  she  had  found  his  kite,  but  re- 
fused to  enlighten  him  as  to  its  where- 
abouts. This  same  creature  had  lured 
many  a  poor  fisherman  to  death  on  the 
rocky  coast  of  Kau,  and  Maui  thought 
it  high  time  to  put  an  end  to  such  a  pest, 
so  he  killed  her. 

Once  more  he  took  up  his  search  for 
his  beloved  kite  and  soon  found  it  clever- 
ly hidden  in  the  hills.  Ironically  he 
named  the  spot  Puuanuhe,  and  returning 
home  with  his  precious  toy  he  fastened  it 
securely   to   its   moorings   again. 

Even  today  you  can  see  the  immense 
kite,  now  turned  to  stone,  just  as  Maui 
hauled  it  in  for  the  last  time  and  left  it. 
It  is  seventy-five  feet  long  and  about 
forty-five  feet  wide,  narrowing  to  eighteen 
feet  at  one  end.  At  the  narrow  end  is 
a     crystal-clear    lake,     very     deep     and 


Page   Thirty -two 


smooth  as  glass.  In  its  center  is  a  large, 
round  stone  projecting  above  the  sur- 
face with  a  two-inch  aperture  in  the  mid- 
dle where  Maui  used  to  make  his  kite 
string  fast. 

Near  this  lake  are  the  two  windpots, 
Ipunui  and  Ipuiki,  and  a  little  way  be- 
low are  three  very  distinct  foot-prints, 
each  fifteen  inches  long,  showing  where 
Maui  stood  while  flying  his  great  kite. 


Thirty-three 


MAUI'S  FISH-HOOK. 

MAUI,  the  powerful  young  demi-god 
who  dwelt  with  his  mother,  the  god- 
dess Hina,  in  the  great  cave  behind  Rain- 
bow Falls,  had  succeeded  in  so  many 
hazardous  undertakings,  and  had  the 
welfare  of  his  people  so  much  at  heart, 
that  he  resolved  upon  what  was  to  be  his 
greatest  deed  of  prowess  and  beneficence. 

Now  Maui  had  a  magic  fish-hook 
which  he  cleverly  used  while  fishing  with 
his  brothers.  Maui  was  very  sly  and 
quick,  but  he  was  never  a  good  fisherman. 
He  would  sit  in  the  canoe  and  drag  his 
hook  through  the  water,  catching  no  fish 
himself  but  snagging  those  his  brothers 
caught  and  laughing  merrily  at  their  be- 
wildered expressions  when  they  pulled 
in   their  lines   and   found   nothing. 

They  distrusted  Maui,  for  he  would 
never  let  them  see  his  hook,  yet  they  knew 
it  was  shaped  differently  from  theirs. 
It  was  more  complicated  and  had  a  dou- 
ble barb,  while  the  common  fish-hook  had 
but  one.  But  his  brothers  could  never 
catch  him  at  his  tricks. 

At  last  they  no  longer  allowed  him  to 
accompany  them  on  their  fishing  trips, 
as  he  took  all  the  fish  and  honors,  and 
they  all  knew — Maui  included — that  he 
did  not  deserve  them.     So  Maui  would 


Page  Thirty -four 


go  alone  to  the  bay,  but  the  hook  re- 
mained idle  in  the  bottom  of  his  magic 
canoe  which,  as  related  in  the  legend  of 
Kuna,  he  drove  from  the  shores  of  the 
Island  of  Maui  to  the  mouth  of  the  Wai- 
luku  with  two  sweeps  of  his  paddle. 

While  drifting  about  Maui  watched 
some  of  his  people  who  were  not  blessed 
with  magic  canoes,  and  considered  the 
hard  paddling  required  to  send  them 
through   the   water. 

One  day  as  he  sat  in  his  canoe  watch- 
ing another  pass  by,  evidently  on  its  way 
to  a  neighboring  island,  the  demi-god 
wondered  if  it  might  not  make  things 
easier  to  have  all  the  islands  joined  to- 
gether, so  people  could  travel  to  any  part 
of  the  kingdom  without  the  laborious 
canoe   voyages. 

Calling  a  meeting  of  Hawaii's  chiefs 
and  strong  men  Maui  informed  them  of  a 
plan  to  draw  all  the  islands  together. 
He  told  them  he  would  need  their  help 
in  pulling  the  islands,  but  no  matter  how 
hard  or  how  long  they  pulled  they  must 
never  look  back  to  see  how  much  was 
being  accomplished  until  the  islands  were 
firmly  joined  together. 

The  men  solemnly  promised  to  obey 
Maui  and  at  once  proceeded  to  their 
new  task.  The  island  now  known  as 
Maui  was  selected  for  the  first  attempt. 


I     iity-tlve 


Maui  fastened  his  magic  fish-hook  into 
that  part  of  the  land  nearest  Hawaii, 
and  at  his  command  the  strong  men  and 
chiefs  paddled  with  all  their  might. 
Slowly  the  island  moved  behind  them. 

No  one  dared  look  around,  though  all 
were  burning  with  curiosity  to  see  the 
result  of  their  struggles.  Long  and  stead- 
ily they  paddled  until  the  two  islands 
were  only  a  few  feet  apart.  Then  one 
of  the  chiefs  could  no  longer  control  his 
curiosity  and  looked  around. 

In  an  instant  the  charm  was  broken. 
The  island  slid  back  through  the  sea  to 
its  former  position  in  spite  of  all  that  Maui, 
chiefs  and  strong  men  could  do  to  stop  it. 
Only  a  small  piece  of  land  was  left — that 
in  which  the  fish-hook  was  still  deeply 
imbedded.  Today  that  bit  of  land  is 
covered  with  lauhala  trees  and  coconut 
palms,  and  is  known  as  Coconut  Island. 

So  great  was  Maui's  disappointment  at 
this  his  first  failure  in  any  important  enter- 
prise that  he  would  not  try  again.  He 
said  his  fish-hook  had  lost  its  charm  and 
sorrowfully  he  took  it  away  with  him  in 
his  canoe.  He  carried  it  up  the  Wailuku 
River  to  his  home  behind  Rainbow  Falls, 
where  he  grieved  for  many  days  over  the 
unsuccessful  attempt.  Later,  having  no 
more  use  for  the  hook,  he  carried  it  away 


Page    Thirty-six 


from  the  cave  and  threw  it  into  the  forest 
near  his  home,  where  it  lay  undisturbed 
until  the  haole  came. 

To  those  early  settlers  the  magic  fish- 
hook of  Maui  was  of  less  interest  as  such 
than  as  material  for  masonry,  and  not  a 
piece  of  it  remains.  At  the  forks  of  the 
Piihonua-Kaumana  road  one  may,  how- 
ever, see  the  peculiar-shaped  depression 
where  it  lay  for  so  long  before  civiliza- 
tion's vanguard  swept  the  tangled  jungle 
of  Maui's  time  from  its  hiding-place. 


I'age    Thirty-seven 


Drawn    by    Will    Herwig. 


Paradise    Eng. 


But  the  Strange  Woman  Smiled  and  Told 
Them  to  Uncover  the  Imu. 


HINA  KEAHI. 

JUST  mauka  of  the  Hilo  Boarding 
School  are  three  large,  rounded  hills 
which,  centuries  ago,  were  mud  craters. 
Covered  with  the  green  of  rustling  cane- 
tops,  at  a  distance  they  appear  to  be 
soft,  grassy  mounds.  Many  a  tourist, 
gazing  from  the  deck  of  an  incoming 
ship,  has  yearned  to  "stroll  over  those 
smooth,  rolling  hills,"  only  to  find  the 
pastime  quite  impossible  on  nearer  view, 
which  revealed  the  'Velvety  grass"  as 
lusty  sugar  cane  stalks  ten  to  fifteen  feet 
high  and  closely  interwoven. 

But  now  the  last  crop  of  cane  has 
been  harvested  from  these  graceful 
mounds  and  their  slopes  are  being  pre- 
pared to  receive  the  dwelling-houses  of 
any  who  choose — and  can  afford — to  live 
in  the  rarified  atmosphere  of  romance 
that  hangs  about  this  Hawaiian  Olym- 
pus. 

Nor  is  the  term  Olympus  as  applied 
to  these  hills  a  redundant  flight  of  fancy. 
Long  ago — many,  many  years  before  the 
haole  came  to  plant  his  sugar  cane  in 
their  deep,  rich  soil — these  hills  were  the 
homes  of  several  beautiful  goddesses. 

The  makai  and  largest  hill,  called 
Halai,  was  the  home  of  Hina  Keahi, 
eldest  daughter  of  the  goddess  Hina,  who 


Thirty -nine 


lived  at  Waianuenue — the  cave  behind 
Rainbow  Falls  in  the  Wailuku  River — 
and  sister  of  Maui  the  demi-god.  To 
Hina  Keahi  was  given  power  over  fire. 

In  many  ways  this  young  goddess 
aided  her  people,  bestowing  upon  them 
the  blessing  of  protection  from  fire  while 
teaching  them  many  ways  in  which  to 
use  it.  The  remarkable  fact  has  often 
been  noted,  by  the  way,  that  although 
the  Hawaiians  always  lived  in  grass 
houses,  seldom  was  one  known  to  be 
destroyed  by  fire.  Hina  Keahi  was  well 
beloved  by  her  people  and  her  lightest 
commands  were  obeyed  meticulously. 

Food  had  always  been  plentiful  in 
Hawaii.  The  people  cultivated  their 
fields,  which  yielded  bountifully.  But 
one  time  the  crops  failed — grew  smaller 
and  smaller — and  began  to  shrivel  up 
and  die.  Soon  a  famine  spread  over 
the  land.  Crops  were  allowed  to  wholly 
perish  because  none  was  strong  enough 
to  tend  them. 

Hina  Keahi  saw  that  unless  something 
was  done  at  once  her  beloved  followers 
would  all  die.  Calling  them  about  her 
she  commanded  that  an  immense  imu 
be  dug  in  the  top  of  Halai  Hill.  "Pre- 
pare a  place  for  each  kind  of  food  as 
though  you  were  ready  to   fill  the  imu, 


Page    Forty 


then  bring  as  much  firewood  as  you  can/' 
she  ordered. 

The  starving  people  summoned  new 
strength  at  this  promise  and  worked  for 
many  days  preparing  the  enormous  imu. 
Knowing  a  human  sacrifice  would  be 
offered  as  the  only  possible  result  of 
their  labors,  they  lived  in  fear  and  won- 
dered who  would  be  chosen.  Still,  they 
never  once  thought  of  deserting  their 
work  and  finally  everything  was  in  readi- 
ness. 

"Fill  the  imu  with  wood  and  heat  it," 
commanded  Hina. 

As  soon  as  this  was  done  she  turned 
to  the  wondering  people  and  said:  "Lis- 
ten to  what  I  tell  you,  and  follow  my  in- 
structions. It  is  the  only  way  you  can 
be  saved  from  starvation.  I  will  step 
into  the  imu  and  you  must  quickly  cover 
me  with  earth.  Do  not  stop  throwing 
earth  over  me  until  the  last  puff  of  smoke 
disappears.  In  three  days  a  woman  will 
appear  at  the  edge  of  the  imu  and  tell 
you  what  to  do." 

Bidding  them  farewell,  Hina  Keahi 
stepped  quickly  into  the  red-hot  imu. 
Immediately  a  dense  white  cloud  of 
smoke  surrounded  and  concealed  her. 
For  a  moment  the  people  stood  trans- 
fixed  at  the  sight;    but   remembering  in- 


Page    Forty-one 


structions  they  at  once  began  covering  the 
imu  with  earth. 

Followed  then  three  long  days  of 
waiting  fraught  with  mingled  hopeful  ex- 
pectancy and  anxiety  for  their  goddess. 
On  the  third  day  everyone  repaired  to 
the  edge  of  the  imu  and  awaited  the 
appearance  of  the  woman  of  whom  Hina 
Keahi  had  spoken. 

In  the  meantime  Hina  Keahi  had  not 
remained  in  the  imu  for  long.  The  fire 
had  not  harmed  her,  for  she  had  complete 
power  over  it.  Going  underground  she 
made  her  way  toward  the  sea,  coming  to 
the  surface  of  the  earth  somewhere  near 
the  spot  on  which  the  Hilo  Boarding 
School  stands  today.  The  place  was 
marked  by  a  bubbling  spring. 

Once  more  she  disappeared  under- 
ground and  again  came  to  the  surface, 
creating  another  spring  near  the  present 
location  of  the  Hilo  Hotel.  A  third 
time  the  goddess  followed  her  subter- 
ranean route,  coming  up  in  a  third  spring 
at  the  place  now  occupied  by  the  Ameri- 
can Factors'  lumber  yard.  Refreshing 
herself  in  the  clear  waters,  she  started 
back  to  her  home,  this  time  traveling 
above  ground. 

Thus  on  the  third  day  from  the  dis- 
appearance of  Hina  Keahi  those  gath- 
ered about  the  imu  saw  a  strange  woman 


Page   Forty- two 


approaching  from  the  direction  of  the 
sea.  As  she  drew  near  they  noticed  a 
striking  resemblance  to  their  own  goddess, 
yet  she,  they  knew,  was  buried  in  the 
imu.  In  fear  they  drew  away,  but  the 
strange  woman  smiled  and  told  them  to 
uncover  the  imu. 

Reluctantly  they  set  to  work,  dreading 
the  sight  which  all  had  in  mind.  But 
when  the  imu  was  uncovered  they  found 
it  filled  with  cooked  food — enough  to  sup- 
ply their  needs  until  the  rains  came  and 
new  crops  could  be  grown  and  harvested. 
In  gratitude  they  turned  to  thank  the 
strange  woman,  but  she  had  vanished. 

And  to  this  day  one  may  see  the  im- 
mense imu  in  the  top  of  Halai  Hill,  now 
overgrown  with  a  thicket  of  feathery 
bamboo,  which  the  people  left  open  in 
memory  of  their  timely  deliverance. 


three 


HINA  KULUUA. 

HINA  KULUUA  was  the  second 
daughter  of  the  goddess  Hina,  who 
lived  behind  Rainbow  Falls.  Hina 
Keahi,  the  elder  sister,  had  received  the 
best  of  the  gifts  which  their  mother  could 
bestow — power  over  fire  and  ownership 
of  the  largest  of  the  Halai  hills.  Known 
as  the  goddess  of  fire,  Hina  Keahi  was 
indeed  very  powerful  and  one  time  gave 
spectacular  evidence  of  it  in  saving  her 
people  from  starvation,  as  told  in  the 
legend,  Hina  Keahi. 

Naturally  everyone  looked  upon  her 
thereafter  as  the  most  wonderful  goddess 
in  the  Islands.  Even  her  sister's  little 
band  of  followers  did  not  refrain  from 
open  admiration  of  the  beautiful  fire 
goddess. 

This  made  Hina  Kuluua  exceedingly 
angry.  Her  jealousy  overwhelmed  her; 
she  could  not  bear  to  let  her  sister  claim 
so  much  glory,  and  she  have  none  at  all. 

It  was  not  long  after  this  that  an- 
other famine  swept  the  land.  Hina  Ku- 
luua thought  fortune  was  at  last  coming 
her  way.  Here  was  the  very  opportunity 
she  craved.  Now  she  would  prove  her 
power  superior  to  her  sister's  and  all  the 
people  would  sing  her  praises  and  wor- 
ship her  alone. 


Page    Forty-four 


In  her  excitement  she  entirely  over- 
looked the  fact  that  she  was  goddess  of 
rain,  and  not  of  fire.  She  ordered  an 
immense  imu  to  be  dug  in  her  own  hill, 
Puu  Honu.  Comprehending  her  inten- 
tions the  people  at  once  realized  the 
utter  futility  of  her  proposed  action  and 
pleaded  with  her  against  it;  but  to  no 
avail. 

"Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  my  power 
is  less  than  Hina  Keahi's?"  she  de- 
manded angrily.  "Do  you  think  that  I, 
Hina  Kuluua,  cannot  do  as  much  for 
my  people  in  their  time  of  need?  I  will 
show  you!  Then  you  shall  recognize 
Hina  Kuluua  as  the  greatest  goddess  in 
Hawaii." 

"You  can  help  as  well  and  perhaps 
better  than  your  sister,"  they  argued, 
"but  you  cannot  do  it  in  the  same  way. 
Your  power,  though  it  may  be  as  great, 
is  nevertheless  entirely  different  from  hers." 

Then  Hina  Kuluua  would  order  them 
out  of  her  sight  and  command  them  to 
hurry  the  completion  of  the  imu. 

At  last  all  was  ready.  A  group  with 
tear-stained  faces  were  gathered  about  the 
smoking  imu.  Hina  Kuluua  approached, 
her  head  held  high  in  an  air  of  triumph. 
She  stepped  to  the  edge  of  the  imu,  cast 
a   glance  of  disdain  toward  the  wailing 


Forty-five 


women  and  said,  "Cover  me  quickly. 
Watch  near  the  imu  and  in  three  days  a 
young  woman  will  appear.  She  will 
give  you  further  instructions." 

Stepping  into  the  imu  she  was  quickly 
covered  with  soil.  The  people  had  ex- 
pected a  cloud  of  smoke  to  appear,  but 
were  somewhat  surprised  to  see  the  little 
there  already  was  become  even  thinner 
and  dwindle  away  to  mere  nothingness. 

Slowly  the  long  days  of  waiting 
passed.  The  third  day  dawned.  All 
morning  the  people  watched  for  signs 
from  the  imu.  Late  in  the  afternoon 
found  their  vigilance  unbroken;  night 
closed  in  and  still  no  sign.  Dawn  once 
more,  another  day  of  anxiety.  On  the 
fifth  day  they  could  no  longer  restrain 
themselves  and  cautiously  uncovered  the 
great  oven. 

A  dark  greyish  cloud  rose  over  the 
imu — that  was  all.  Within,  the  people 
could  distinguish  the  charred  remains  of 
their  proud  goddess.  With  reverence 
they  covered  the  imu  once  more  and 
carefully  smoothed  it  over. 

That  is  why  today  you  cannot  see  a 
deep  crater  in  Puu  Honu  as  in  Halai, 
and  why  the  dark,  gloomy  cloud — a  sure 
sign  of  rain — often  hangs  low  over  the 
one-time  home  of  Hina  Kuluua. 


Page   Forty -six 


THE  FIRST  LAW. 

FOLLOWING  one  of  his  great  vic- 
tories King  Kamehameha  I  es- 
tablished his  court  on  the  largest  island 
of  the  Hawaiian  group,  Hawaii,  and 
prepared  to  make  his  headquarters  there 
for  the  time.  Of  course  a  heiau  must  be 
built,  and  he  ordered  construction  to  be- 
gin immediately,  selecting  a  site  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Wailuku  where  today 
stands  the  armory  of  the  National  Guard 
of   Hawaii. 

This  heiau  was  unusually  large  and 
considerable  time  was  consumed  in  build- 
ing it.  Finally  it  was  completed,  but 
before  it  could  be  used  the  customary 
human  sacrifice  had  to  be  offered.  Not 
willing  to  take  one  of  his  own  men, 
the  king  went  in  search  of  another. 

Early  one  morning,  accompanied  by 
a  small  body  of  his  warriors,  Kameha- 
meha set  out  in  his  canoe,  sailing  along 
the  coast  in  the  direction  of  Puna.  As 
the  royal  party  neared  Leleiwi  Point, 
two  fishermen  in  a  small  outrigger  were 
discovered,  busy  with  their  nets.  The 
king's  big  war  canoe  bore  down  upon 
them,  but  recognizing  the  royal  craft 
from  afar,  they  paddled  lustily  for  the 
shcre.  Knowing  the  heiau  was  nearing 
completion     the     fishermen     guessed     the 


-even 


Drawn    by   Will   Herwig. 


Paradise    Eng. 


"Mamalahoa  Kanawai  o  na  Alii"  Kamehameha 
Called  After  Them. 


reason  for  the  king's  early  morning  visit 
and  had  no  intention  of  remaining  to  re- 
ceive him. 

Landing  safely,  yet  with  the  prow  of 
the  big  canoe  not  a  spear's  length  behind, 
the  poor  fellows  made  all  speed  over  the 
open  lava  beds  that  lie  between  the  shore 
and  the  jungle  at  this  point.  The  king, 
standing  in  the  bow  of  his  canoe,  was 
first  ashore  and  in  hot  pursuit,  but,  un- 
familiar with  the  footing  there,  made 
poor  progress.  These  lava  beds  are  full 
of  treacherous  pukas  and  into  one  of 
them  Kamehameha  stumbled,  sinking  to 
his  armpits.  There  chanced  to  be  a 
sizeable  stone  within  reach  of  his  hand, 
and  this  he  hurled  after  the  fleeing  men, 
but  his  aim  was  bad  and  he  missed  them. 
This  very  stone,  and  the  hole  into  which 
the  king  fell,  may  still  be  seen  just  mauka 
of  Leleiwi  Point. 

Glancing  over  his  shoulder,  the  hind- 
most fugitive  observed  the  king  was 
trapped  and  that  his  retainers  were  still 
some  distance  to  the  rear.  Here  was  a 
chance  for  revenge.  Swinging  his  heavy 
canoe  paddle,  which  he  had  been  too 
frightened  to  drop,  the  fisherman  turned 
and  dealt  his  majesty  a  cruel  blow  on 
the  head  and,  leaving  him  for  dead, 
made  off  at  top  speed  after  his  com- 
panion. 


■  ity-nine 


When  his  men  came  up,  the  king  was 
just  regaining  consciousness.  One  look 
at  their  wounded  monarch  sent  them  like 
a  pack  of  hungry  wolves  after  the  fish- 
ermen. 

"Mamalahoa  Kanawai  o  na  alii!" 
Kamehameha  called  after  them.  "Who- 
ever purposely  murders  a  fellowman  shall 
be  hanged." 

And  thus  the  very  first  law  was  made 
in  Hawaii. 

"Let  them  go,"  he  said,  as  his  men 
reluctantly  abandoned  the  chase.  "I  am 
not  much  harmed  and  they  are  badly 
frightened  now.  They  may  never  do 
violence  again  to  anyone.  If  any  man 
hereafter  wilfully  take  the  life  of  another 
he  shall  be  hanged.  Come,  let  us  go 
back.  My  heiau  will  not  require  a  hu- 
man sacrifice,  for  it  shall  never  be  used." 

So  it  happened  that  this  was  the  first 
heiau  ever  built  without  its  human  sacri- 
fice, and  the  last  one  constructed  on  the 
Island.  Once  the  law  forbidding  mur- 
der was  enforced  heiaus  were  no  longer 
needed. 

For  the  first  time  on  Hawaii  trails  be- 
came safe  for  travelers.  Always  there- 
tofore one  never  knew  at  what  moment 
an  enemy  in  ambush  might  rob  him  or 
take  his  life.  Women  and  children  could 
now  go  abroad  at  all  times  in  safety. 


Page   Fifty 


Peace  reigned  in  the  land  and  the 
people  became  more  prosperous  and 
progressive.  Years  passed  before  the 
law  was  broken,  and,  true  to  his  word — 
for  the  king's  word  was  law — Kameha- 
meha  ordered  the  murderer  hanged.  The 
scene  of  his  execution  was  the  unusually 
crooked  coconut  tree  which  until  recent 
years  stood  near  the  present  site  of  a 
cracker  factory  on  what  is  now  Kame- 
hameha  Avenue. 

Today  a  careful  observer  may,  by 
peering  beneath  the  Armory  Hall,  make 
out  the  few  remaining  stones  which  were 
once  a  part  of  the  foundation  of  the  last 
heiau  built  on  Hawaii. 

PAU. 


I'ifty-orn 


HOW  TAPA  IS  MADE. 

I  *HIS  volume  of  Hawaiian  Legends  is   bound 

■*■       in  genuine  tapa,  a  cloth — or  more  properly 

speaking  a  strong  paper — made  by  hand  from  the 

inner  bark  of  the  wild  mulberry.      Briefly,    the 

process  of  manufacture  is  as  follows: 

When  full  of  glutinous  sap,  the  bark  of  the 
mulberry  is  stripped  and  steeped  in  running 
water  until  the  outer  layer  is  softened.  This  is 
scraped  away  and  the  inner  bark  beaten  with 
corrugated  paddles  of  palm  wood  until  strips  two 
or  three  inches  broad  are  widened  to  ten  or 
twelve  inches. 

The  edges  of  these  strips  are  then  pasted 
together  with  a  strong  vegetable  glue  and  lami- 
nated with  more  beating.  So  skillfully  is  this  done 
that  it  is  impossible  to  detect  the  lines  of  jointure. 

The  tapa  used  in  binding  this  book  is  of  the 
stout,  heavy  grade;  but  that  used  for  clothing  and 
scarfs  is  often  as  sheer  as  fine  muslin. 

Tapa  making  is  confined  entirely  to  the 
women,  men  never  occupying  themselves  with 
any  of  its  processes. 


Page   Fifty-two 


GLOSSARY 

Hawaiian  words  may  be  easily  pronounced 

correctly    by    using    the    Spanish    alphabet. 

There  are  no  silent  letters,  and  all  syllables 

are   stressed    equally. 

Alae  (Hawaiian  gallinule) :  Native  bird  fig- 
uring   largely    in    Hawaiian    legends. 

Ao-opua:       Talisman,    guardian    spirit. 

Haleakala:     House   (hale)   of  the  Sun   (la). 

Haole:     White  man. 

Hau:  Native  tree  much  favored  for  lanais 
(arbors)  and  the  wood  for  outriggers  on 
canoes  and  floats  for  its  cork-like  light- 
ness.     (Hibiscus  arnottianus). 

Heiau:     Ancient  Hawaiian  temple. 

Honu:      Turtle,   turtle-shaped. 

Imu:  Underground  stove  made  by  scooping 
a  hole  in  the  ground,  lining  it  with  rocks, 
and  building  a  fire  in  it.  The  food  to  be 
cooked  is  placed  in  the  heated  cavern, 
which  is  then  covered  tightly  with  leaves 
and   earth. 

Kaipaaloa:  Inlet  or  estuary  where  the  sea 
is  quiet. 

Keahi:     Of  the  fire. 

Kuluua:      Of  the   (gentle)   rain. 

Lauhala:  Leaf  (lau)  of  the  puhala  tree 
(Pandanus  odoratissimus). 

Makai:      Toward  the  sea. 

Malihini:      Stranger,  foreigner. 

Mamake:  Shrub  about  ten  feet  high  (Pip- 
turus   albidus). 

Mamalahoa  kanawai  o  na  alii:  Your  king 
proclaims  this  the  law  of  the  land  (free 
translation). 

Mauka:      Toward  the   mountains. 


i'ifty-thrt 


Olona:     Native  flax  (Touchardia  latifolia) 

Pahoehoe:  The  sterile,  flintlike  lava  as  dis- 
tinguished from  aa,  the  friable  and  highly 
fertile  lava. 

Pau:     The  end,  finished. 

Pili:  Grass  yielding  stout  fibres  (Andro- 
pogon   contortus). 

Puka:      Doorway,  entrance,  hole. 

Puu:      Small  hill,  usually  of  rounded  form 

Ti  (formerly  written  ki) :  Plant  of  lily 
family  having  bright  green  leaves  three 
feet  long  and  six  inches  wide  (Cordyline 
terminalis). 
Waianuenue:  Shimmering  waters,  as  a  rain- 
bow effect. 

Wauke:  Native  mulberry  tree  (Brousson- 
etia  papyrifera). 


Page  Fifty- four 


14  DAY  USE 

ETURN  TO  DBSK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

RENEWALS  ONLY— TEL  NO.  642-3405 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 

R^gje#lf^l^$*t£5pbject  to  immediate  recall. 

0CT£ft'$fi.4PM 

L0AH  BEPTi 

u^  1  5  1969 

les  LB  OEC 

1'd9-SPW 

LD21A-60m-6,'69 

General  Library 

JFW'- 


' 


ri'li'i&'lflilflilfcilii  ii  ' 


■  ■*& 


